Panther freshmen win; JV falls late

ADM scored 26 unanswered points in the second half to overtake the Creston/O-M junior varsity football team Monday, 26-14.

The Panthers had taken a 14-0 halftime lead on touchdown passes by Alex Nielsen to Brandon Jones for 25 yards, and Josh Reed to Sam Hartsock for 30 yards.

The Panther freshmen, meanwhile, capitalized on a late ADM turnover to snare a 14-12 victory at Adel Friday night, scoring with 1:09 remaining.

In the JV game, ADM scored its second touchdown with 7:28 remaining, but Panther defensive back Chris Foster knocked down a two-point pass to preserve a 14-13 lead over the Tigers.

It was short-lived, however, as ADM quarterback Francis Weiland scored with 2:23 remaining as the visitors gained the lead, 19-14, and the Panthers fumbled on the ensuing possession.

In the final minute, ADM defensive lineman Christian Swiler intercepted a pass as Nielsen was being sacked, and he returned it for the final touchdown in the 26-14 game.

"I felt like we played a very good first half of football," said Creston/O-M coach Kevin Cooper. "We went into halftime with a 14-0 lead and I felt like we played good in all three phases of the game. In the second half we really struggled on both offense and defense. We started the half with the ball and just couldn't get anything going. They scored a TD late to put the game out of reach. We had our chances, but couldn't convert."

At Adel Friday, freshman co-coach Jon Thomson said the undefeated Panthers got their first "gut check" of the season.

"We were down by six with a minute and a half to go in the fourth quarter," Thomson said. "Kadon Hulett caused a fumble and that turned into a halfback pass by Seth Thompson that set us up for a couple of carries, and Chase Shiltz topped it off with a coupe of scores and a two-point conversion. We run a play called the 'Hammer' much like the varsity's 'Tank' play. We load the backfield with a couple of linemen and just get a great push up front."

Shiltz carried 31 times for 116 yards for the Panthers. Cody Crawford had three catches for 36 yards.

Hulett had a big game defensively with 12 total tackles, including five for losses. He also caused a fumble and recovered a fumble for Creston/O-M (4-0).

"This has been a bit of an eye opener for our kids," Thomson said. "ADM has some great athletes and we stepped up to the challenge. Even with a great win, we still have things we need to get better at keep our heads in the game. Our next focus now is now Perry at home for our homecoming."